No time to quit: Engaging Youth at Risk Executive Report of the Committee on Young Males and Crime in Trinidad and Tobago Car made by a prisoner at Orange Grove Remand Yard from scraps of paper and decorated with coloured pencils i COMMITTEE MEMBERS Professor Selwyn Ryan – Chair Dr Indira Rampersad – Deputy Chair Dr Lennox Bernard Professor Patricia Mohammed Dr Marjorie Thorpe © 2013 All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be sold, copied, stored in a retrieval system or otherwise distributed without express written permission from the authors. DESIGN AND LAYOUT Desmond Joseph Phone: 1 (868) 757-9494 PRINT PRODUCTION Multimedia Production Centre (MPC) School of Education Faculty of Humanities and Education The University of the West Indies St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. Phone: +1 (868) 662 2002 ext: 84150 Fax: +1 (868) 662 6615 ISBN: 978-976-8242-40-2 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................. 11 PART ONE - PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS 1.1 – Foreword Another Look Inside The Book Bag Committee Chair - Professor Selwyn Ryan ....................................................... 15 1.2 - Committee Terms of Reference ........................................................................................................ 17 1.3 - Constitution of the Committee and Process ................................................................................... 18 1.4 - Methodology ........................................................................................................................................ 19 1.5 - Definitions of Terms........................................................................................................................... 19 1.5.1 Youth ....................................................................................................................... 19 1.5.2 Hotspot .................................................................................................................... 20 1.5.3 Race and Ethnicity ................................................................................................. 20 1.5.4 Gender and Crime ................................................................................................. 21 1.5.5 Human and Citizen Security: A Definition of Development .......................... 22 1.6 - Vision of the Committee ......................................................................................................................... 23 PART TWO - FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A - RACE, ETHNICITY GENDER: AND THE CRIME QUESTION ................................................. 25 A-1: Masculinity and Crime in Trinidad and Tobago ........................................................................... 25 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 25 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 28 A-2: Are Young men of African Descent more at risk than those of Indian Descent? ................... 28 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 28 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 33 iii B - THE DYNAMICS OF GANG BEHAVIOUR AND THE DRUG TRADE .................................. 35 B-1 - The Dynamics of Gang Behaviour ................................................................................................. 35 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 33 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 36 B-2 - The Drug Crisis and Crime .............................................................................................................. 37 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 37 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 40 C - PRISON REFORM, THE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND POLICING ................................................. 42 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 42 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 40 D - THE INFLUENCE OF POPULAR MUSIC ON CRIME ................................................................ 46 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 46 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 50 E - EDUCATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS .......................................................................... 51 E-1 - Early Childhood Care and Education- Social Inclusion and Strengthening the Care Environment ............................................................................................. 51 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 51 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 51 E-2 - School as a Safe Place ........................................................................................................................ 52 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 52 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 54 E-3 - Reforming Our Education system ................................................................................................... 55 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 55 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 56 E-4 - Technical and Vocational Education and Training ....................................................................... 58 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 58 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 59 E-5 - Teacher Professionalism .................................................................................................................... 59 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 59 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 61 iv E-6 - Parent and Community Involvement in Schooling: A partnership in learning ..................... 62 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 62 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 62 E-7 - Give a Sporting Chance ..................................................................................................................... 63 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 63 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 64 E-8 - National Service: A growing Imperative ........................................................................................ 65 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 65 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 66 F – SUMMARY OF FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY ON YOUTH AT RISK ....................................... 67 G-GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................... 80 G-1-Recommendations ................................................................................................................................. 80 G-2-Perspectives on Implementation ......................................................................................................... 81 References ....................................................................................................................................................